Žurnal in English
FORESTS TARGETED BY THE MAFIA: Multi-Million Dollar Crime Involving Illegal Loggers, Interest Groups, and Politics
The private forest "Repišta" in Vučija Luka has been devastated. The majority owner, Milka Popović, reported everything to the police and prosecutor's office, but no action has been taken on these complaints for two years. The situation is no better in other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most illegal logging occurs in areas where local authorities or relevant inspections lack sufficient resources for control, says Azra Šehić-Kustura. The forestry sector is considered one of the most unregulated fields in the country’s economy, and HNK (Herzegovina-Neretva Canton), where we’ve witnessed 15 years of anarchy in the forestry sector, is deemed one of the most critical areas, according to the Foundation "Atelier for Social Change." Environmental activist Safet Kubat believes that illegal and unplanned logging is also linked to landslides.